In the Service of Liars and Killers: Companions
by Mildred Josephine
Summary: For those reading ISOLK, companion pieces to lift my spirits during the tense part of the stories, left here in case you are interested.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The first two pieces take place just when Darcy moves to California to work for Tony.

* * *

"We need another game," Darcy said, examining her fifth soapdish on the shelf of the department store they were in. "I'm tired of chess."

"Only because you lose," Loki replied, standing behind her with both sets of his long limbs crossed, leaned up against a shelf. "And, to my recollection, we have been able to invent quite a number of games all on our own. Ones with which I am perfectly satisfied as an alternative." Darcy's eyes widened as she tossed a few quick glances around, making sure his comment was heard only by her.

"Is there anything you _don't_turn into an innuendo anymore?" she asked lowly, looking at a yet another bathroom theme.

"I wouldn't need to keep myself as entertained if you would make up your_ mind_," he said, picking up a toothpaste holder. "How difficult can this be?"

"I'm sorry I'm actually enjoying having a relatively normal afternoon picking out normal stuff for my new normal house in my new state, thank you very much," she retorted, taking the toothpaste holder from him, her fingers brushing over his, the warmth from his hand feeling as if it radiated up her arm. Every touch since they had begun what she could only describe in her head as an illicit affair -which kind of made it more exciting- four weeks prior seemed to find new places to make her tingle. Darcy wasn't sure if it was the excitement of it all or if the God of Mischief was actually making her tingle. Neither would surprise her. "I know you and Thor like to go pick intergalactic fights in your spare time, but I go for a more mellow existence. Please try not to ruin this for me," she said, mock pleadingly, grabbing the matching accessories to go with it the toothbrush holder. Loki watched with a hidden smile as Darcy turned her attention back to shopping, spending more time contemplating towels than she ever spent forming a strategy to protect her king. He did have to admit that she seemed more relaxed than she had since the attack at their house in New York. Perhaps there was a certain therapy to the mundane tasks of putting together her new home in California.

Their new home, he supposed, as he was to live with her. While he would probably have been able to get his own home if he wanted, living with Darcy certainly had its appeal. Then again, the new aspects of their relationship he thought would make their cohabitation awkward. Somehow, it just wasn't. It was the same as it had been before, except Darcy spent much of the day with Stark training for her new position and Thor lived down the street with Jane.

Still, she would come home, a smile on her face when she walked in the door. He even had taken up cooking dinner for her, as she was usually exhausted at the end of the day and it was certainly easy enough to do for him. They would dine alone or sometimes with his brother and Jane. They would watch a movie together or play chess, much to her chagrin and complaining. Sometimes they even talked, usually about everything and nothing. Asgard and its beauty. Her college days. Frost Giants and the fact that he was one. What it was like to grow up in foster care. Slowly, the topics that had been off limits came into safe territory, as sometimes they would simply talk for hours, enjoying the comfort of the company of another person who knew what it was to feel alone.

And then the nights. Loki fought the smile playing on his lips. Sometimes the days, too. It was as if they tried to prove to each other that they were alone no longer.

He came up behind her, placing his hand on the small of her back as he reached over her, grabbing a handful of towels.

"There. Those are pleasing," he said patiently. She rolled her head to the side to give him an amused look.

"What a surprise. Something green. Jane and Thor's house probably looks like a brothel: Thor probably likes red and Jane doesn't care." She smiled at him, and his stomach did a bit of a turn which he chose not to think on too long as she picked up the towels, tossing them in her cart. If picking out decorations for a washroom meant that she smiled at him like that, then he supposed he could suffer it a bit longer.

"An amusing thought, to be sure," Loki replied as they wandered away from the home section of the store to the games. He watched as Darcy examined the wall of board games carefully as he eyed a new chess set with glass pieces. It looked quite nice compared to the one he had bought…

"Could you get into Uno? Or Clue? Those are cool games." Loki picked up a small, colorful box hanging from a rack.

"This seems to be a game your speed, my pet." Darcy examined the box in his hand before straightening up indignantly.

"Go Fish?" she questioned, crossing her arms. "You're an asshole." He shrugged, placing it back.

"I am glad I have finally learned that is a term for a person who behaves badly here in Midgard. Otherwise I might have to take offense."

"So you don't take offense for me saying you are a person who behaves badly?"

"I see no point in denying truth, my dear," he said with a wicked smirk and a wink. Darcy rolled her eyes, but her insides felt like they were reeling with excitement.

"I could handle Risk slightly more than chess," she continued, picking up a box from the shelf.

"What is the object of this Risk?"

"World-" she paused, continued quietly, "domination." She looked off to the side sheepishly, putting it back on the shelf, as he smirked at her. "Maybe we should just leave that one."

"Sounds interesting," he said, grabbing it. "Let us 'give it a whirl,' as they say."


	2. Chapter 2

"What would you consider yourself?" Darcy asked. Loki looked down at her head resting in his lap as her eyes remained fixed on her movie she watched.

"Care to specify your question? I consider myself many things."

"Would you consider yourself a wizard? Or mage? Like, what would you call yourself?" He looked up at the screen at the cartoon she was watching. An old man in a blue nightgown and pointy hat made a room clean itself while a small boy watched in interest. A small smile brought up the corner of his most as he turned his attention back to his book he held in one hand while his left hand twisted small curls in her hair.

"I suppose I have often been described as a sorcerer in Asgard," he replied, his attention returning to his book. "I believe that is the word you are looking for."

"You don't use a wand," she said. His smile grew wider as she kept her eyes on her cartoon.

"That is a true statement," he said plainly.

"You don't need one? Or like a staff, or something?"

"Implements were useful when I was young and less disciplined," he said. "I have little use for them to cast spells any longer." He was strangely pleased at her sudden curiosity in his abilities. She had never really asked him questions about it before. "They can be helpful to conserve energy if they can deal damage on their own."

"So, you can run out of magic?" Darcy felt his finger leave her hair, slowly inching down to the curve of her hip.

"After excessive use, I suppose I would start to tire," he said. His fingers creeping forward hesitating at the waistband of her pants. "It would take a considerable effort to exhaust me, though."

He was quite certain, even though he could not see her face, that he heard her eyes roll as she raised her remote control to pause her movie: a fortunate thing, as the childish song was distracting him. His grin grew wider.

"You are making my pillow uncomfortable," she said, rolling on her back to look up at him. He closed his book, laying it on the end table as the hand that held it toyed with the tendrils of hair around her face while the other continued rubbing gentle circles on her lower stomach, not yet venturing anywhere. "So, like, what all can you do?" Her persistent questioning was admirable, he would give her that. A small laugh escaped him.

"'What I cannot do?' is a better question," he said, allowing a warming magic to seep into her stomach and drift lower. He watched as her eyes closed, the bottom half of her clenching and tensing beneath him. "Magic is limited only by the imagination, of which I have much."

"No wonder I don't know anything about you," she said, almost breathlessly as her eyes drifted closed and she squirmed slightly, desperately wanting his hand to move lower, which it so wasn't. "Anytime I start asking you questions about yourself, you start this."

"At the present, it is the most interesting way to demonstrate my power, in my opinion," he said playfully, thoroughly enjoying watching her squirm as he continued to send heat from his fingers. "You are curious about my abilities. Would you prefer that I make the dishes clean themselves?" A secret grin crept on her face.

"You aren't really showing me anything I haven't seen before," she said, her voice managing to sound bored. "I don't think this will satisfy my curiosity." His hands stilled completely as she bit back a wider smile, her eyes remaining closed, anxious as to what the repercussions for her teasing would be.

She suddenly felt disoriented and cold. When she opened her eyes, she realized they were in his bed without a stitch of clothing between them. She gasped a bit, looking up into his eyes which seemed to glitter with playfulness, his mouth coming down on her. She couldn't hold back the grin as he kissed her, enjoying it when it seemed like all of the cares and worries of their lives were gone from his shoulders, leaving only a playful lover behind who happened to be able to do magic. She ran her hands up his sides and rested them against again the sharp angles of his shoulder blades, enjoying the gooseflesh she felt raising on his arms. It was indeed gratifying when he wasn't so composed.

"We cannot leave your curiosity unsatisfied now can we?" he asked, pulling away from her. She grinned as she looked up at him, his dark hair hanging over his forehead. She pulled one of her hands free to tuck a strand behind his ears. They were apparently both 'hair people,' There were few things she enjoyed more than letting her fingers run through his thick head of dark locks, and he often did the same to her. His eyes drifted closed at the contact. It was almost as if she could feel the mood shift from jovial to something different. His eyes opened again, catching her continuing to stare at him. "What is it?" he asked. "Did I frighten you?" To be fair, he had never completely stripped her with magic and she supposed he was taking a pulse to see if it was too much. From what he had told her, his Asgardian friends did not trust magic fully. It was almost kind of sweet.

"No," she said quietly, as slight shake of her head. "You don't frighten me." Her lips quirked a bit. "Too much…anymore," she finished. "I guess you are going to be all huffy and try to put me back in my place now?" He dipped his head again, kissing her mouth softly again. She wanted to squeal with delight as he dug his fingers under her, wrapping her up tightly.

"No," he said when he pulled away. "I would not have you fear me any longer. I find this much more appealing." His face became very severe suddenly. "I am still scary though."

"Oh, undoubtedly," she said very seriously, hiding her smile just long enough to finish her words. "Very scary."

"And _dangerous_," he said.

"And pretty," she countered, kissing him quickly. He frowned.

"And _devious_," he retorted. Kiss.

"And funny."

"And _powerful_."

"And charming."

"And _dubious_."

"And amazing."

"Finally! An accurate adjective from you."

"Loki," she said. "Shut up and kiss me again."

"I do not take orders from mort-"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry! I posted this on Tumblr, but not here. My bad!

Just so you guys have a pulse with updates for the main story, I'm about halfway done with the next chapter. I'm hoping to update by Sunday, depending on when I finish/my wonderful amazing beta's availability. I work at a college, and this is the first week of classes...so...it's been a little hectic. I apologize I've kept you guys waiting. But after this week, it will calm down at work until next summer!

Sorry for the sheer amount of fluffikins coming from me lately.

* * *

"You're not one of those people that make sex noises during massages, are you?" Darcy asked, rubbing a generous amount of oil on her hands. Loki craned his neck from his cross-legged position on the floor in front of her to arch a fine dark brow as she returned the gesture.

"Considering this was your idea, I shouldn't hear complaining, regardless of what verbal responses I do offer, if any."

"So saucy," she said, a playful frown on her face. "Here I am trying to be nice, and let you experience one of the few things I'm actually good at, and this is what I get," she said. "Off with the shirt." Loki straightened indignantly, hesitant, but obedient to his lover's command. As much as he despised taking orders (and she knew it) he often found he was well rewarded when submitting to her whims. He felt her fingers slick with pleasantly scented oil slide across his shoulders, causing him to gasp slightly. "What, is it cold?"

"No," he said cautiously. "Just…unexpected. It still do not see the point to this." She tentatively let the pads of her fingers run over the lean sinews of his shoulders. Whatever complaining he had prepared died on his lips.

"Are you telling me after being a million years old, no one has ever given you a massage before?"

"Old as I am, I am not quite a million," he said, somewhat more subdued in his tone. Darcy smirked as he leaned his head forward, giving her hands more access. "And of course. Healers after a battle and so forth."

"Never a girlfriend or some supple young serving wench?" Loki froze, tossing a look back at her before looking back to the carpet in front of him, inhaling deeply, enjoying the lavender scent of the oil and feeling of Darcy's small fingers firmly kneading his shoulders.

"Servants also, yes, I suppose," he said. "I also suppose they were usually women."

"Oh, I bet," she said. "Are Asgardian servants the equivalent of Midgardian supermodels, or still a few steps up?" Loki smirked to himself.

"Most Asgardian women are quite lovely, yes, regardless of station," he said.

"How many women have you slept with?"

"I was wondering when you would abandon your rather clumsy attempts at subtlety, my pet," he replied, his head leaning back as her fingers kneaded lower, slowly tracing the path of his spine down his back.

"Yeah… it's not really my style is it?" she said. "You going to tell me?"

"Why do you wish to know?" he asked.

"Curiosity," she said. "It can't be a small number."

"You think not?"

"You duplicated yourself last night," she almost whispered. "You telling me that kind of thing doesn't get passed around the girl's locker room for the past however long you've been alive?" Loki let out a genuinely amused laugh. Even though he was probably laughing at her, Darcy still enjoyed the sound.

"I supposed it would. I must say while I am not considered to be the most attractive ideal by most Asgardian standards," Darcy scoffed quietly to herself, "and my particular skill set mistrusted, there has always been a great deal of curiosity about my powers in that department from Asgardian ladies. Would it surprise you that to know that I have always been interested in quality over quantity? Despite my rather sudden interest in you, I was usually very careful about who I chose to take into my bed. I found that I preferred longer affairs than the one-night engagements that many of court preferred. I find that enjoyment is gained in familiarity, and did not desire changing a bed partner very often."

"So…?" she prodded. Loki sighed as he leaned his head forward as her small hands worked their way down his arms. This was certainly a new skill he would need to add on to the repertoire of Darcy Lewis.

"Over the past thousand years? I would say eleven, including you."

"That's it?" she asked. "One every century?"

"More or less. Pleasure rather than conquest has always been my objective. One does not need a vast number to achieve it. Indeed, I would shudder to think if Jane questions Thor in such a way. He was far less discriminating than me in our younger years." Darcy couldn't help but smirk at the thought of Loki, for all his mischief and general douchebaggery, was kind of a romantic, in his own weird way. "And what about you? May I ask your number?"

"Three," she said simply. "Including you."

"That is all?" he asked, enjoying the feeling of her finger slowly work their way up his sides.

"Awkward first time freshman year of college," she said. "Wasn't in a hurry after that. I really only had one serious boyfriend, and we split when we graduated. SHIELD didn't exactly have a huge dating pool or leave room to really visit other ones, either."

"Did you gather what you wanted from this conversation?"

"Does every conversation have to have a motive?" she asked. "Sometimes I just like talking to you. Learning about you." She leaned forward, letting her hands run down over his chest, pressing her cheek to his. "Can your giant brain not handle the mindless chatter of us poor mortals? Or are you not happy if you are not scheming about something?" The softest whisper of a noise escaped him as she lightly drug the back of her nails down his stomach.

"I suppose I can suspend my machinations to indulge in your interrogation," he said, resting his head back on her shoulder. "Especially with so pleasant an inducement."

"And you thought you wouldn't enjoy this," she said.

"It did seem silly, as I was in no pain, and but I can see the appeal. Thank you." Darcy grinned, wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a hug as he let his eyes drift closed.

"Loki?" she said after a few minutes.

"Yes Darcy?"

"I'm glad we're friends." She felt him smirk against her cheek.

"As am I," he said. "This was not what I expected when I chose to kidnap you, I must say." She was quiet for a moment, unsure of his intention behind the comment.

"Are you disappointed about your decisions?" she asked. His hand came up to cover hers that were still wrapped around his shoulders as he placed a gentle kiss on her temple.

"No," he said.


	4. Chapter 4

Darcy immediately panicked as her eyes shot open, recognizing that it was daylight outside. She squeezed her eyes shut, a grumble of irritation arising in her throat. The arm wrapped tightly around her middle immediately betrayed who that culprit was, as far as Darcy was concerned.

"You promised you would stop magicking my phone from going off," she mumbled, not moving from her cocoon of blankets and boyfriend.

"You said nothing about simply pressing the snooze button," Loki replied smoothly as her body hummed with the reverberation from his chest against her back. "You would think a goddess would stop sleeping so heavily as a mortal."

"Old habits die hard," she said, turning over to stretch on her back, though her companion gave her little wiggle room as he tightened his hold around her stomach, burying his face in a combination of a pillow and her hair. "Ugh. Why can't I _rewind_ time?" she complained.

"I should have never allowed that infernal thing into Asgard," Loki replied, his voice muffled as Darcy rose from their bed.

"Tony's going to be ticked that I'm late. _Again."_

"Simply tell him it was a transdimensional miscalculation in time, darling."

"I think after eight months, he's going to start getting a little suspicious of that excuse," Darcy said pointedly, pulling up her familiar jeans she grabbed from her dresser as a subtle smirk edged at the corner of her mouth. She walked over to the closet, throwing the elaborate golden doors open to survey her wardrobe. "Will you causing trouble in Midgard or Asgard today?" she questioned. Loki sat up rubbing his face as he fought of the last vestiges of sleep. Darcy picked out a blouse from her clothing collection more fitting for her home planet, all of which looked ridiculous next to Loki more elegant attire.

"Neither, sadly. The rebuilding of the palace on Jotunheim is complete. Thor and I plan on being there for the celebration tomorrow." Darcy looked at Loki thoughtfully as she buttoned up her shirt.

"I can't believe how amazing that place looks now," she said, coming to sit on the bed. Loki could feel a shift in the air as she came sat at his side. He could feel the morning breeze softening, the curtains to the window blowing more slowly in the wind. He smiled.

"You have improved," he replied. "You can slow both of now with hardly any notice." Darcy beamed under the praise of her lover, whose approval she never shied from enjoying.

"I know, right?" she said, straightening her shirt. "Practice, practice, practice, as someone tells me." She reached out to brush a stray lock of hair out of Loki's face as his eyes drifted closed at the touch. "I am glad the palace is finally finished, and it's beautiful. Of course I couldn't expect anything else with you helping design it." Loki smiled subtly at her compliment, his green eyes opening to stare into hers. "Definitely a lot less 'dark and forbode-y' and more 'gleaming Ice Fortress.'"

"I was fortunate to find the designs Frost Giants used before Laufey's rule," he replied. "There was once a time when the Jotunns were not characterized by warmongering and terror. Mammoth liked the idea of returning to those roots. Let us hope it will help preserve the peace for long while."

"You and Thor have been working on their restoration since we killed Shaw," Darcy reaffirmed. "You've been using that giant brain of yours to design that beautiful place and Thor has lifted no small amount of glaciers with his own hands to help." She took his hand. "I'm sure that's a pretty big deal to them." Loki's warm smile remained.

"Let us hope so," Loki said. "Especially since the Casket leaves my hands to go to Mammoth today. Let us hope his intentions are truly as they seem. Will you be coming to the celebration tomorrow?" Darcy smiled.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she said, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "Any of them," she said just before their lips met. She could feel his fingers come to the side of her face as he attempted to pull her back down with him to the bed.

"Nope!" she squeaked, pulling away as he groaned in disappointment rolling over to see her take off to the other side of the room. "I'm late for work. Come on. Do the teleport-y thing." He stood, his clothes magically appearing on him as he approached her.

"Why should I? I am not finished with you yet," he cooed, approaching her. She quirked an eyebrow up at him.

"Because if you don't, I'll be sleeping at _my_ house, and you won't be finishing _anything_ with for a long-" He cut her off with a bold kiss, both of them fighting to hide their smiles as his magic swirled around them, carrying them over to Midgard still locked in their embrace.

"Aw, come on, guys!" Tony complained loudly from the other side of his lab, his nasal whine echoing off the bare walls. "It's bad enough that she's late. I have to _see _this too?"

* * *

Just a quick little blurb for you guys! Thank you so much for all of you who voted for my for _In the Service of Liars and Killers_! I can't believe it!


	5. Chapter 5

I love you guys and miss hearing from many of you. Just thought I'd writ this little thing. Sorry It's not very much. I haven't written this fandom in a while!

* * *

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

_Breathe in._

_Breathe._

Darcy's eyes raised slowly, her own body fighting under the influence of her power. As she focused her sight, which seemed to take longer to come clear, Thor came into focus in front of her. She fought for control as she tested the movement of her hands, which resumed her normal speed. Thor, however, still seemed to move in slow motion as he dwelt in the realm of her power. Scrunching her eyes together, she tried to bring him into the circle where time moved at the same rate as her. It was dizzying, having so many flow rates. As grew in her abilities, she realized it was reality she was bending. Time was already relative, and now she was able to force it to move relative to her. She practiced with Thor and Loki daily, the three of them learning to move together almost as she struggled to learn how to form channels of time flow across a battlefield for her allies while slowing enemies down to near paralysis.

Well, that was the vision Loki had presented to her. His sketches he had made of his theories of what she could do with her power remained in her mind as she fought to get Thor's gleaming and glowing locks to blow in the breeze normally.

The air escaped her lungs as Thor rejoined her in the time of the present while the birds and wildlife in the gardens of Asgard continued to mill about them in slow motion. She watched as Thor looked around them, observing her power from within, a delighted chuckle escaping him.

"Ah! Another triumph for my trusted princess and sister," he said delighted. Darcy's cheeks rounded with a smile, still unused to the familiarity and affection with which Thor spoke of her always. Ever since her quiet marriage to Loki, her friendship with the future King of Asgard had grown to a quiet depth of a brother, the intensity of which she had scarcely imagined could exist outside of her feelings for Loki. Thor's heart belonged to Jane, who was set to become his wife in the not too distant future. But one thing Darcy had learned about her soon to be sovereign was that feeling anything partially was not the way of the God of Thunder. Everything he felt, he felt with his whole heart, whether it was his love for Jane as a wife, for Loki as a brother, or her as a sister. "Your sphere of influence is improving. How far out are you controlling the flow of time?"

"Just the garden right now. Loki has been stretching my boundaries. I've gotten out about a half mile in all directions before. It is hard to bring anyone else here, though." Thor nodded appreciatively, his enormous arms crossed in observation.

"You are sure you wish to train this skill for battle?" Thor questioned again. "It is not required that you learn to fight as Sif does. You are already quite valuable as my advisor."

"Your advisor who is still learning all the ins and outs of this place," Darcy sniffed. "In a hundred years, I might have _some_ dent in that library made. And that's _with_ time-flowy control. I don't know half of those languages. Loki has to read them to me." Thor smiled.

"In all my hopes, I could not have imagined a better addition to my future council," he boomed happily. "Nor a better companion for my wayward brother." Darcy smirked, the thought of her mischievous husband raising the corners of her mouth, as usual.

"Wayward is putting it rather mildly," she responded lightly. "But thank you."

"Truly, I was afraid to let myself hope he would marry you. Loki was always apt for throwing away contentment with both hands to prove he needed nothing. As much as I knew he loved you, I was afraid years of fear of needing anything would draw out his more malicious side against you." Darcy smiled, watching a purple butterfly slowly float between them. She thought of catching it, but left it alone.

"You think about what Loki might have done a lot," she said, thoughtfully. "It can't be healthy. You'll have enough to worry about soon when you get married and become king. Past possibilities should be the last thing that should bother you." Thor returned the contented expression Darcy held as she turned, seeing Loki approaching them. "You are afraid to trust him again," she said, watching her new husband descend the steps towards them, his graceful movements even more apparent in their slowed speed.

"I was once nearly blind to Loki's nature. I've always known what he was like, but I never thought he would turn his power on me," Thor replied, also watching his brother approach as they spoke. The Prince of Asgard smiled broadly, his straight teeth visible as his demeanor greeted him both, though his eyes remained fixed on Darcy. "I am ashamed to admit I still fear his betrayal." Darcy nodded, her smile softening into a gentler expression.

"Not completely unreasonable," she replied. "I think we are both afraid to believe that he truly has changed. But I believe he has, and I swore I would never let myself believe that when I first came here. But we've all changed, him especially. And pretty soon, we'll up for change again." Thor frowned as he turn to look at Darcy, his eyes dropping to her hand absently rubbing the soft, blue material of her dress. Thor's eyes lit up as the dots connected in his head darted between his approaching brother and girl in front of him. "Keep it calm, tiger. Loki doesn't know yet, and he'll flip if he know you found at first. I'm still trying to find a good time to let him know." Thor visibly tried to restrain himself from acting too unnaturally as his brother drew closer.

"So soon?" Thor said. "You were only married less than a year ago. You are immortal now."

"Well, nature is nature, and I guess she was read to see a little Loki or little Darcy running around sooner rather than later. If that thought doesn't sober up our favorite trickster, I don't think anything will." Thor felt the release of Darcy's hold over time as Loki began walking at his normal pace with his long strides. "Shush now," she said lowly.

"Practicing are we," Loki questioned as he finally drew close to them, embracing Darcy warmly with a chaste kiss to the lips.

"Yes," Thor replied. "It's quite a bit more difficult, when her subject has no magic to aid her."

"Hey!" Darcy pouted.

"All the same, your designs are quite brilliant," Thor continued to his brother. "If you can pull it off," he said to Darcy, "War could soon be a thing of the past. You could grow to control a battlefield, and end conflict with even less violence." Darcy nodded, hesitantly.

"It's more power than I thought," Darcy said. "It's a little scary to think about.

"Our father would not have given it if he did not think you capable, darling. But he has only planted the seed. It is you who must grow your abilities. Besides, it will be nice not to be the _only_ magic user of the party."

"Yes," Thor replied jovially. "Some of us only have our poor limbs to guide us. But enough practice for today. I am ready to dine for the evening."

"You're _always_ ready to dine for the evening," Darcy retorted, taking Loki's arm as he led her inside.

"I see no flaw in this observation," he replied, holding out his arm as Mjolnir immediately found its way to his hand from its resting spot a few yards away. "Jane should be returning from the Observatory soon. I will retrieve her and meet you two inside." With that, the God of Thunder took off into the skies with little warning, leaving Loki and Darcy quite awkwardly in the courtyard, alone.

"I do hope he grows out of that before he begins diplomatic summits," Loki commented with a heavy sigh. Darcy looked about nervously, all too aware of why Thor had disappeared so suddenly.

"It's just as well," Darcy said, coming to a stop. "I have something to tell you."


End file.
